St Nicholas of

Wismar Wismar (; Low German: ''Wismer''), officially the Hanseatic City of Wismar (''Hansestadt Wismar'') is, with around 43,000 inhabitants, the sixth-largest city of the northeastern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and the fourth-largest city ...

was built from 1381 until 1487 as a church for sailors and fishermen. St Nicholas is one of the finest testaments to

mediaeval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...

architecture in northern

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Based on the design of Marienkirche (St Mary's) in Lübeck it is the second highest brick

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...

church in the world after St Mary's of Lübeck. St Nicholas along with St Mary's and St George's is one of the three great churches that dominate the skyline of the city of Wismar. As part of Wismar's historic centre, it was inscribed on the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage List A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNES ...

in 2002.

History

*1226 – Foundation of the city of Wismar. *1255 – First documentary reference to St Nicholas. *1270 – A dispatch mentions new construction at St Nicholas. *1370 – Start of alterations to the basilica with a choir ambulatory, based on the design of the St Mary's Church, Lübeck. *1403 – Chancel consecrated. *1434 – Construction of the flanking aisles, annexes and naves. *1459 – The church is consecrated. *1508 – Construction of the spire. *1517 – Start of the Reformation. *1523 – Heinrich Never brings the Reformation to Wismar. *1632 – Wismar captured and held by Sweden until 1803. *1703 – Spire collapses in a severe Storm, severely damaging the roof, vaulting, decor and furnishing of the nave. *1867 – Revaulting of the nave and until - *1890 – Complete renovation in the contemporary neo-gothic style. *1945 – St Nicholas remains the only large church in Wismar undamaged by war. *1975 – The Mende organ from Freiberg in Saxony arrives at St Nicholas Church. *1989 – St Nicholas becomes a platform for political protest in Wismar. *2010 – A new organ in the choir is consecrated.

Exterior decorations

The gable of the southern transept is covered with decorations of glazed terracotta. There is a large and sophisticated blind rose window with a golden sun in the center. There are galleries with an abundant number of relief sculptures of saints and kings. Both eastern edges of the tower are decorated with squared

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

Interior decoration

* The high altar is a product of the late Baroque period. (1774) * The choir organ * Triumphal cross ( 15th Century ) * Pulpit (1708). A Baroque work by Johannes von Rehn. * Mende Organ. The organ has a

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

era casing with

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

enhancements, and was constructed by Johann Gottlob Mende ( 1787- 1850 ). * A bronze

baptismal font A baptismal font is an article of church furniture used for baptism. Aspersion and affusion fonts The fonts of many Christian denominations are for baptisms using a non-immersive method, such as aspersion (sprinkling) or affusion (pouring). ...

(1335) originally from the St. Mary's. It portrays scenes from jesus life as well the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. * The high altar and the triumphal cross from St. George ( both c. 1430 ) in the southside

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

. * Bronze burial slab (1504) of Duchess Sophie von Mecklenburg. * The Mariner's Altar is the only one of 38 former 'native' altars that remains in St. Nicholas.

References

External links

Churches in Wismar
{{Authority control Nikolai Wismar Nikolai Wismar Nicholas